


Terminator: Race Against Time

by CanadianWriter78



Category: Elizabeth (Movies), Terminator (Movies), Terminator - All Media Types, The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Crossover, F/M, Fanfiction, Historical Fantasy, My First Fanfic, Time Travel, Tudor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:08:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22976680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianWriter78/pseuds/CanadianWriter78
Summary: The Resistance, which has emerged victorious after decades of vicious fighting against the machines and terminators of Skynet, faces a new threat: factions of the surviving population have embraced religious extremism, with designs for turning the rebuilding post-apocalyptic society into an authoritarian theocracy. And one secretive organization – the Society of St. Pius – led by a renegade priest named Ryan Semple, is determined to knock John Connor from his place in the leadership hierarchy. But first, this band of fundamentalist catholic zealots desires to rewrite history by sending terminators back through time to eliminate perceived enemies of the Catholic Church, beginning with Princess Elizabeth in 16th Century England. John Connor retaliates by sending the aging terminator who’d saved his life as a boy to Tudor England to protect the future Queen against the T1000 and her sister, the diabolical Mary 1.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter One: Prologue  Los Angeles, California, 2032

John Connor surveyed the gloomy, forlorn topography which served as a heartbreaking reminder of what used to be the second-largest metropolis in the United States. Vast wastes of burned-out concrete and the skulls of millions of victims who’d perished in the initial stages of the nuclear holocaust or succumbed to the endless fighting during the War with the Machines. Scattered amongst this titanic graveyard of humanity and technology were the remnants of countless machines – terminators who’d been designed by Skynet to wipe out humankind.  
What this artificial neural network-based conscious group (commonly referred to as a ‘supercomputer’) failed to take into account was the steely resolve of the human race, people with nothing left to lose who were fiercely determined not to become extinct at the hand of man’s own creation. The last of the terminators and Skynet’s machines may have been put out to pasture, and Skynet was under guard on a 24/7, but rebuilding society was the hardest battle to come.  
To the surprise of many, the vast complex that once served as home to Cyberdyne Systems had remained largely intact. John, who had a fanatical obsession with bringing down the machines, lived with his mother, Sarah. For a woman who’d been through as much hell as she had, Sarah Connor remained strong. His wife, Katherine, had recently passed. His days were divided between helping out the field and overseeing the crew of battle-hardened warriors and scientific experts who kept Cyderdyne Systems under control with the mandate of ensuring that no more nefarious machines were created.  
One of the major challenges of feeding a very hungry population was finding enough arable land, land that hadn’t suffered the poisoning of nuclear radiation and fallout. There was so much to think about and so little time to do it in. Since emerging victorious, the Resistance had kept the ‘time machine’ section of Skynet under lock and key. Only two scientists – Rosa Ortiz and Stephen Nokes – were permitted access. Nokes was a veteran of the field of cybernetics who’d worked briefly for Miles Dyson.  
Throughout the dark years, in addition to his mother, the people who’d stayed closely by John’s side were his lieutenants Marcus Wright, Blair Williams, Barnes, and Dr. Serena Kogan.  
“I must say that I’m impressed by the progress being made by our fellow citizens who are working diligently to back get to some sort of normal,” said Blair, who’d been a pilot and one – time love interest of Marcus. “Although I’m quite surprised by the sudden rise in religion, especially the ‘old religions.’  
John had never been a major devotee to any particular religious faith or creed, although he’d had some faith in a ‘higher power’ during the years of struggle and anguish against Skynet’s creations.  
“People are so thankful that they have won, they want to praise whatever god they know,” the leader of the Resistance replied. “Although I just say I’m more than a bit taken aback by the sheer fanaticism of some of these groups. Don’t get my wrong – I’m not against believing I a higher power. I mean, look at Nokes. He’s devout. What is he….?”  
“He’s a member of the Roman Catholic faith,” Kogan interjected.  
“But at least he remains grounded. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have some concerns about a handful of these groups. Some are Islamic fundamentalists. Others are just weird and potentially a risk to the security of the grand new society we are going to build. But, to date, no particular group has drawn our attention so therefore we won’t worry about this.”


	2. Chapter 2 Los Angeles, California 2032 AD

Chapter 2  
Los Angeles, California 2032  
‘Thy will be done – come hell or high water.’  
Once a novitiate for the priesthood, Ryan Semple’s dream of serving God had been disastrously cut short – but only in the interim. Like many youths of his generation, Semple was mortified by the liberal direction the Roman Catholic Church had been gradually moving in since the Second Vatican Council of the mid – 1960s. The true Catholic Church was still alive. And if this once-powerful institution ever wanted to rule the Earth’s (now 3 billion inhabitants) it would have to once again fight for dominance at the currently very divided table of religious belief.   
Semple remained a lowkey figure during the War against the Machines. He’d barely been ordained a deacon when Judgment Day occurred. Nevertheless, the pious devotee to the ancient faith had built up a strong following that continued to grow. On this dark night, one could still smell weak hints of radiation in the air. Surely, Judgment day had been retribution against the people of Earth who for centuries had been turning their backs on the One True Catholic Church. In Semple’s, mind there simply were no other options – within Christendom or outside of it. Catholic Fundamentalism harbored an absolute truth found in no other faith or creed.   
Their meeting place was in the sacristy of what had once been one of the most beautiful churches in Los Angeles, Our Lady of Sorrows. The sacristy remained intact while the main church had succumbed to the machines. Semple stood on the altar in front of forty adherents, all of whom grasped rosary beads.   
“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy whom Jesus.”  
The congregants spoke in near-perfect unison. Once the rosary was finished, Semple began High Mass in the only language it should ever be spoken in – Latins. Rarely was the sect of fundamentalists bothered during its services. The cathedral was located in an isolated district of Los Angeles where few survivors lived. Still, Semple understood full well he had to be extra cautious regarding how he proceeded.  
“In the early years of the Dark Ages following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the real catholic church filled the void of leadership in the world,” he said as he began his sermon. “My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we have been presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead the world to the path of morality, justice, and ultimately salvation. I will be the first pope in close to three decades.” As if paranoid that he may be getting unwanted attention, Semple lowered his voice. “Before we can take over, I believe it is imperative to go back in time and right some of the most grievous historical wrongs that have been committed against the true church. By this, I mean eliminating those prominent figures – many of whom lived during the era of the Protestant Reformation. And there is no better individual to start with than Princess Elizabeth. Although her father, Henry the Eighth, had rejected the church out of his own selfish desires, her sister, Mary, remained steadfast in her convictions. Sadly, she died in 1558, leaving the Protestant bastard Elizabeth to take the throne. Getting into Skynet these days is more difficult than Fort Knox had been, but, by the grace of God, we’ve been provided with a contact on the inside. Once these historical enemies of the church have been eradicated, our next focus will be on the so-called leadership. As soon as John Connor has been taken out, I will reign.”


	3. Chapter 3 Los Angeles, California, AD 2032

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance, which has emerged victorious after decades of vicious fighting against the machines and terminators of Skynet, faces a new threat: factions of the surviving population have embraced religious extremism, with designs for turning the rebuilding post-apocalyptic society into an authoritarian theocracy. And one secretive organization – the Society of St. Pius – led by a renegade priest named Ryan Semple, is determined to knock John Connor from his place in the leadership hierarchy. But first, this band of fundamentalist catholic zealots desires to rewrite history by sending terminators back through time to eliminate perceived enemies of the Catholic Church, beginning with Princess Elizabeth in 16th Century England. John Connor retaliates by sending the aging terminator who’d saved his life as a boy to Tudor England to protect the future Queen against the T1000 and her sister, the diabolical Mary 1.

Chapter 3  
Los Angeles, California, AD 2032  
A cluster of body parts belonging to dismantled terminators was strewn along with an unending table inside of one of the highly – secured buildings only Stephen Nokes and a handful of his associates were authorized to be in. Each morning before heading to his job, Nokes prayed for strength and peace during the long day ahead. He blessed himself and kissed the scapular around his neck. One side featured a very colorful rendering of the Most Immaculate Virgin Mary, the other a picture of Saint Benedict.  
It was time to get to work. Surely to God, there would never again be a need for these creations of death. Miles Dyson may have had good intentions, but, as the old adage went, the road to Hell was paved with good intentions. Skynet. Just as he contemplated on the computer that narrowly wiped out the human race, John Connor entered.  
“Good morning Dr. Nokes.”  
“Morning, John. I realize for a man with your experience and know-how, spending long days mainly babysitting a machine must have you bored to tears.”  
“It’s kind of funny in a way. During those years we fought against the machines, Skynet remained a relatively benign creature,” Nokes stated. “Only on one or two occasions did it appear as a physical manifestation.”  
“Notably the T-5000, one of the most advanced terminators ever built.”  
Unbeknownst to his superiors, Nokes had been doing some experimenting of his own with the vast computer network.  
“There was a meeting with the council yesterday evening.” John walked around the lab. “One of the members – you remember General Hugh Ashdown?”  
Nokes nodded.  
“He’s getting shall we say a bit long in the tooth for fighting and has since entered the equally vicious world of politics. Anyway, General Ashdown raised his concerns about the possibility of having to use Skynet in the future for the purposes of time travel, should another threat ever emerge. I know, it seems like a farfetched longshot. But then again, there is a growing movement of religious cults, some with leaders whom the Resistance is monitoring very closely. Ashdown fears these zealots may try to get their hands on Skynet for nefarious purposes.”  
Nokes touched his Scapular.  
“John, it’s my religious faith that got me through the dark years following Judgment Day. Many of us – regardless if we adhere to some branch of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or even one of what we used to refer to as the New Age religions, are as committed to wiping out the enemies of the past as are you.”  
John lowered his head and forced a weak smile.  
“I suppose I realize that. It’s just that I’ve never been a major believer in organized religion. Please, carry on what you’re doing.”  
‘I’ll do just that,’ Nokes said to himself. If only the Resistance knew that right in the middle of their ranks was an infiltrator, one who was discreetly resurrecting the T – 1000.  
*****  
The apartment John Connor shared with his mother had long ago been a high – priced condo. Now, it wasn’t much better than the rat-infested slums many of the survivors were still forced to live in. Years of struggle had made Sarah Connor strong as well as tired. On his evening, she showed her age as she sat listlessly in an old armchair.  
“I never thought I would ever see this day with my own eyes,” she said. “Skynet subdued. The last of the terminators destroyed. Sadly, in my lifetime I will not see society return to where it was before Judgment Day.”  
“If only my father was still alive.” John sat across from his mother. “What was he like? Kyle Reese.”  
“Tough. Uncompromising. When he saved me from the first terminator in the LA nightclub in 1984, I was the first woman he’d ever been with. As he told me himself; ‘women in the future are good fighters, but that’s all.’ We fell in love, only for him to be murdered by that machine, ironically the same machine that was reborn and sent back in time to 1991 to save you. speaking of our old friend. I wonder how he’s doing these days?”  
“You mean Uncle Bob? I stopped there about a month ago. He’s one of the few terminators who because of their efforts to help the Resistance were allowed to live. I guess he’s just enjoying retirement. That reminds me. I really have to get over and see him more often.”  
“I’m sure he’d enjoy the company.”


	4. Chapter 4 Los Angeles California AD 2032

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance, which has emerged victorious after decades of vicious fighting against the machines and terminators of Skynet, faces a new threat: factions of the surviving population have embraced religious extremism, with designs for turning the rebuilding post-apocalyptic society into an authoritarian theocracy. And one secretive organization – the Society of St. Pius – led by a renegade priest named Ryan Semple, is determined to knock John Connor from his place in the leadership hierarchy. But first, this band of fundamentalist catholic zealots desires to rewrite history by sending terminators back through time to eliminate perceived enemies of the Catholic Church, beginning with Princess Elizabeth in 16th Century England. John Connor retaliates by sending the aging terminator who’d saved his life as a boy to Tudor England to protect the future Queen against the T1000 and her sister, the diabolical Mary 1.

Ryan Semple and the select group of breachers he’d carefully chosen from the ranks of his followers had rehearsed this moment more times than he cared to count. This was a one-shot deal. Things could go south in a hurry, meaning their dream of a world run by Catholic fundamentalism would never come to fruition. The sprawling complex that was once home to Cyberdyne Systems had few lights on. In fact, it was one of the few buildings in all of Los Angeles that even had electricity.  
Armed with semi and fully automatic rifles, the twenty religious terrorists – many of whom had fought with the Resistance, spread themselves out around the perimeter of the building. Semple nodded to Creasy, who took out guards patrolling the front of the complex with a silenced rifle. They moved in closer.  
‘Nokes, you better not let me down, or else there’ll be Hell to pay – literally’, Semple thought furiously to himself.  
*****  
Nokes had resurrected the T – 1000, the liquid metal shapeshifting assassin deployed by Skynet years earlier to hunt down and kill John Connor. He’d used Skynet to program the killing machine with onboard nanotechnology as well as to take commands directly from him.  
The scattered lights and sounds of gunfire were a signal that Semple had breached the front entrance. Nokes peaked out of his lab door as two security guards raced down the hallway. Just then, they were met head-on by heavily – armed members of the Society of St. Pius, who gunned them down with abandon. The religious fanatics moved down the hall in almost phalanx form, mowing down more security officers who get in their way. As Semple, Creasy and the other battle-hardened fighters reached the end of the hallway, Nokes appeared from his lab.  
“It is ready,” he said. “We must move fast.”  
Nokes escorted Semple and the infiltrators to the chamber. They were met by a naked man.  
“This is the T – 1000?” Semple asked. “Have you programmed him to know exactly where Elizabeth Tudor is located?”

Nokes nodded and looked right at the terminator.  
“Hatfield House, in the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England,” the machine recited.  
Nokes grinned evilly.  
“Good. Very good. Terminator, move toward the time displacement machine.”  
The deadly creation did as he was instructed. He stood directly inside of the Continuum Transporter. Once the Time Door was locked shut, Nokes began the process. The rings began to spin faster and started to descend into the vast circular space below. Lightning arced in the space below as the charge built up, followed by an almost overwhelming flash of light as the T – 1000 was sent back to the year 1555 AD.  
Nokes turned to Semple, who was dazed by the spectacle.  
“You may get the opportunity to rule this realm, but not today. We have to get as far away from here as we can. Possibly to Mexico – or whatever’s left of Mexico – until such time as it is safe to return to Los Angeles.”  
*****  
John Connor awoke to the sound of rather abrupt knocking at the front door of the apartment. What time was it anyway? He stumbled out of bed and answered. Marcus Wright and Sarah Kogan stood in the hallway.  
“There’s been a breach at Skynet,” Wright stated with the utmost urgency. “And Doctor Nokes is nowhere to be found.”  
“Come inside.”  
Wright and Kogan entered and closed the door behind them. John ran to his bedroom and started to quickly get dressed.  
“Every guard who was on duty has been murdered, as well as two of the infiltrators,” Kogan explained. “We believe they are members of one of those fanatical religious cults.”  
John’s blood ran cold. Ashburn’s fears had some merit to them.  
“Please, don’t tell me….”  
Wright and Kogan nodded their heads in unison.  
“Somebody – or something – traveled back in time,” Wright stated.  
John moved towards the door.  
“We gotta get down there right now. Check the destination manifest – that’s if there is even a destination manifest.”


	5. Chapter 5: London, England AD 1552

Following loud and blinding flashes of lightning that sounded like static electricity, the T – 1000 arrived in London. Now, how to reach Hatfield. His computerized brain scanned the dark, dreary cityscape lit only by dim torches. He walked through a neighborhood of Tudor – style homes before coming upon what at first appeared to be a castle. The Tower of London, his programming told him. Figures wearing colorful uniforms guarded this massive castle. The T – 1000 approached a solitary yeoman warder dressed in a velvet coat trimmed with silver gilt, worn over armor. The warder was overwhelmed with shock and disgust as he was accustomed by a naked stranger.  
“Stop! In the name of the Queen!” he pointed his halberd threateningly at the T – 1000. Two stripes on each arm signified him as a corporal.  
“That’s a very nice uniform. Please remove it.”  
Four other yeoman warders came to the aid of their comrade. A sergeant drew his sword. The T – 1000 responded with a sinister glare.  
“You do not want to do this,” he said.  
“Who are you!” The sergeant demanded.  
“Where is Princess Elizabeth?” the T – 1000 asked. “This doesn’t involve you.”  
All of a sudden, the T – 1000’s hands formed into long blades. As the sergeant went to raise his sword, the T – 1000 sliced him in two at the waist. Blood and entrails few wildly in every direction.  
A second warder swung his halberd at the menacing intruder. The T – 1000 pointed his finger as if the unsuspecting guard should have known better that he had no conceivable chance of winning. With one flick of his blade, the terminator sliced the warder down the middle of his body, beginning at the head. Wasting no time, he eliminated two more. The young corporal fell back, fear paralyzing his entire body. The T – 1000 advanced as the warder began removing his clothing.  
*****  
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, felt his heart beating madly as he walked briskly through the court of Mary I inside of Richmond Palace. Courtiers bowed to him. He knew that the Queen didn’t want to be disturbed – especially at this ungodly hour of the night – but she had to know what had happened.  
Apparently, once Mary and her husband, Philip of Spain, had been notified of the massacre beforehand, they awoke and waited inside of their chambers.  
Cecil felt sheepish entering the chambers of his most gracious sovereign. He bowed to the King and Queen.  
“Your Majesties,” he said humbly.  
Since ascending to the throne two years earlier, Mary had proven herself as a skilled, diplomatic leader who had developed both strong foreign and domestic policies. The rebellion initiated by Thomas Wyatt was in full swing, and she feared the worst.  
“Your Grace, please explain to us exactly what occurred outside of Tower Hill,” demanded Mary.  
“Your Majesty, four yeoman warders were….” He was hesitant to tell the whole truth.”  
Mary wasn’t exactly known for her patience.  
“Tell me!”  
“Your Majesty, they were sliced up into pieces. I wanted to warn you that this was beyond gruesome.”  
“And you have no idea as to who the perpetrators could be?”  
Two ladies – in – waiting went to assist the monarch as she stood up from her throne.  
“Majesty, one guard survived. He’s here. Inside the palace.”  
“I want to speak to him. Now!”  
Cecil bowed.  
“As you wish.”  
Two of the queen’s guards escorted the young corporal, whose name was Elliot, into her chambers. Visibly shaken and white as a ghost, he bowed.  
“What is your name?”  
“Corporal Elliot, Your Majesty.”  
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor, stepped forward.  
“Corporal, this assassin. What did he look like?”  
“Your Eminence, he appeared out of the night with no clothes on.”  
This revelation aroused shock from the royal couple and their courtiers.  
“He was like….not human.”  
“Not human?” Gardiner inquired with dread.  
Elliot nodded before continuing: “Sergeant Johnston sliced at the man with his sword. Seconds later, his body completely healed. Then his hands turned into these massive swords, which he used to kill the other warders,” he explained. “He was like a demon. And he asked about the whereabouts of Princess Elizabeth.”  
Gardiner and Mary exchanged glances.  
“Your Majesty, I’ve warned you all along that your sister is in cahoots with those Protestant rebels,” Gardiner said with grave urgency in his tone. “You must give the royal decree to have her imprisoned inside the Tower immediately and then executed.”  
Mary sat back down in her throne chair.  
“My sister, the offspring of that whore Anne Boleyn, will never rule England.” Mary focused on Cecil and Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex. “As His Eminence stated, have Elizabeth arrested and brought to the Tower. I’m this close to signing her death warrant.”


	6. Chapter 6 Los Angeles California

John Connor was at a loss for words. Just how, after all the turmoil, death and suffering humanity had endured since 1997, could some of their own strive to return so much evil to society? The thought was debilitating.   
Even being as much as a brilliant scientist as he was, Stephen Nokes had left one loose end before fleeing with his fellow traitors. John was even more astounded when he discovered that a T – 1000 (most likely created by Nokes on the sly) had been sent back in time to what? The year 1555 AD? What the fuck! Why? Then, after convening an emergency meeting with his lieutenants as well as some representatives of local churches, it all began to make sense.  
John had talked with Reverend Mark Smith on a few occasions. Rev. Smith was a pastor in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and had a sizable congregation in what remained of downtown Los Angeles. Also in attendance was Bishop Mike Flanagan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.   
“Your Eminence, I’m going to tell you right off the bat that I am not a religious man. Never have been.” John looked to Flanagan, a man in his sixties who’d remained strong and devout during the dark years. “As you’re well aware, numerous religious cults have sprung up in recent years, some with very dangerous manifestos.”  
“A few at least,” Flanagan replied. “Mr. Connor, are you familiar with the organization the Society of St. Pius X?”  
John shook his head.  
“They’re a breakaway sect not even recognized by the Vatican. They’re fanatical – I would say, borderline extremist. Ryan Semple. I’m not sure if he was actually ordained as a priest. It doesn’t matter. Those fools follow him as though he was a prophet. Regarding the breach of security you had over at Cyberdyne Systems, as well as why a terminator was sent back to England in the year of our Lord 1555, Semple wants nothing more than to create a purist Catholic society where those who don’t conform are persecuted and killed,” Flanagan explained.”  
Marcus Wright turned to his superior with unsettled eyes.  
“Just like during the Papal Inquisition of the Middle Ages. You can’t say I didn’t warn you about this piece of shit.”  
“If I were a betting man,” Flanagan continued. “I would be tempted to say that Semple has an agenda to rewrite history, so to speak. The T – 1000 has been transported right smack dab in the middle of the reign of Bloody Mary, in my opinion, the worst thing that ever happened to the Catholic Church as her fanatical actions led to the persecution and discrimination of Catholics in England that never fully ceased until three centuries later. Mary died in 1558, which brought her sister Elizabeth – a Protestant – to the throne. Nokes’ machine has been sent back in time to assassinate the future queen.”  
“Whoa, that was a lot to digest,” said Virginia, who had led a group of human refugees during the fiercest time of fighting. “John, what are we going to do?”  
John found himself lost in deep thought. Although he couldn’t care less about historical figures who’d lived back that far, he was concerned about permanently screwing up the timeline.  
“It’s crucial that we don’t have any hiccups in the timeline,” he replied. “Somebody is going to have to travel to the year 1555 to protect Elizabeth and destroy that T – 1000. And I know just the candidate.”  
*****  
John Connor had always held a special place in his heart for the kind-heartened machine who not only had saved his life but acted almost like a father figure to him during his teenage years. Cyberdyne Systems Model 101(or the T – 800) had become more human over the years, and was able to understand such feelings as joy, sadness, and empathy.   
“John, I am so happy to see you again,” the Terminator said with a smile as he spoke in his heavy Austrian accent. The aging cyborg lived in a somewhat rundown house in East LA. “How is your mother?”  
“Glad that the worst of the fighting is over, although I don’t know for how long.”  
The Terminator stepped aside to allow John to enter.   
“Skynet has been attacked. One of our scientists who we thought was on our side. You remember Stephen Nokes?”  
The Terminator nodded.   
“He was a close associate of Miles Dyson. He designed the prototype for me, which is the model 101, as well as the T – 1000.”  
“Well, he’s just sent a T – 1000 – a killing machine we were certain had been destroyed – back in time.”  
“To 1984?”  
“No, way before that. If you can believe it, the year 1555.”  
“That makes no sense. Centuries before any real technology. The end of the Middle Ages.”  
“Nokes is a member of an extremist religious sect. Fanatical Catholics whose aim is to replace the machines with the Inquisition. Right now, I have every available man and woman out hunting for Stephen Nokes and Ryan Semple. Semple, a renegade priest, wants to eliminate historical figures that were a threat to the frightening power of the medieval Catholic Church, beginning with Queen Elizabeth the First of England.” John patted his old friend on the shoulder. “The timeline cannot be distorted any more than it already has. I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you be keen for one more mission?”  
“I’m not so sure how effective an old cyborg like me would be against a brand – new T – 1000. But, if you’re ordering me to do so, then I will.”  
John smiled.   
“I can’t thank you enough.”  
“Although I am at odds as to what weapons I can use in that time period,” the Terminator continued. “There were flintlocks, big cannons, swords, crossbows, and an early shotgun called a blunderbuss. I always said I would be back, and, since I’m nearing the end of my life, it would only be fitting for me to go out with a bang.”


	7. Chapter 7 Hatfield House, Herefordshire, England AD 1555

Princess Elizabeth basked in the brilliantly warm spring sunshine. Since the death of her brother, King Edward VI, Elizabeth and her entourage – which included her best friend, Kat Ashley – had lived at the stately brick residence, built in the late 1490s during her grandfather’s reign.   
While servants prepared the lunchtime meal, the future queen and her ladies in waiting danced on the manicured lawn. She frolicked happily with Kat, who would later become the governess of England.   
As they danced, a horseman accompanied by two other riders rode steadily through the green hilly countryside that stretched as far as the eye could see. Elizabeth smiled. That could be no other than….Sir. Robert Dudley. Dashing. Charming. Sexy. One of several potential suitors and a personal favorite of hers in the bedchamber.   
Dudley got off his horse, removed his hat and bowed to the princess.   
“Sir Robert.”  
“My Lady.”  
The two embraced.   
“It’s been hard without you here by my side,” she said. “What news from London?”  
Dudley’s aura took on a graver tone.  
“Elizabeth, there was an attack on the Tower. An unidentified assailant murdered four of the queen’s yeomen warders,” he explained. “She believes you orchestrated the attack, most likely with the help of Sir Thomas Wyatt and the other rebels. I am gravely concerned that any day now, you will be arrested, and brought to the Tower.”  
Elizabeth’s heart sank into the deepest depths of her stomach.  
“I can assure you – and even my sister if I have to – that I have nothing to do with Thomas Wyatt.”   
“I believe you. But unfortunately, your sister must be convinced otherwise your head – all of our heads – may end up on the block. I must also warn you that when I was in town, there was a yeoman warder walking around asking about your address. I found this rather strange, as yeoman is strictly in charge of guarding the Tower. Now, you know as well as I do that if Mary were to have you arrested, she would send a large group of soldiers here.”  
“Please, don’t remind me.” Elizabeth was overcome with worry.”  
*****  
A group of children ran off in terror as three consecutive flashes of blinding lightning struck the cobblestone street in front of their home. The Terminator slowly got to his feet, his near – obsolete computer giving readings of his surroundings. The parents of the children ran outside to be confronted by a naked man with a muscular build. The husband and wife blessed themselves.   
“Oh Lord God, protect us!” the woman said.   
The Terminator briefly glanced at the people before continuing down the street. What was that he was hearing? Loud music coming from a pub? It was worth checking out. A long row of horses was tied up outside the Tudor – style tavern. Two drunk patrons who were leaving for the night quickly got out of his way. Celtic – style music was played on flutes, drums, and lutes. Everyone present inside the tavern was having a grand old time.   
The Terminator scanned several patrons for a possible match. Four soldiers wearing armor were laughing it up and hitting on a group of young women. He approached one who was close in size to him.   
“I need your armor, your sword, horse and rifle.”  
The soldier and his mates laughed mockingly.   
“I ought to strike you down right now, you fool,” the first soldier said as he drew his sword. As he raised the sword, the terminator grabbed his wrist and broke the arm.   
The soldier howled in agonizing pain. One of the others smashed a bottle over the Terminator’s head. He responded by grabbing the man and tossing him over the bar. The third soldier squared off with the cyborg, swinging at him with his sword. The Terminator swung out of the way before pushing the man almost through one of the walls of the tavern. By now, most of the patrons have fled for their lives. The fourth soldier, scared out of his wits, started to take off his armor as the Terminator closed in on him.   
The Terminator walked out into the damp night air. He assumed that the soldiers had arrived at the tavern inside of a horse-drawn carriage. To his luck, there were weapons inside: some flintlock rifles and as well as two very early models of what would later become the blunderbuss.


	8. Chapter 8 Hatfield House, Herefordshire, England AD 1555

Princess Elizabeth did not want to spend every waking hour in fear of her life. Would Mary execute her own sister just as she’d already ruthlessly put hundreds of her fellow Englishmen to death, many at the stake? Or would the country’s matriarch show mercy and allow her to live. Elizabeth, like many of her fellow Protestants, feared that if Mary became with child and gave birth to a male heir to the throne, there would be no incentive to keep her alive.   
On this gloomy day, the middle child of Henry VIII found herself alone inside of Hatfield House, many of her friends and supporters away. Harriett and Sarah, two women who had served her for many years, boiled hot water on the stove for the princesses’ bath while Nigel, a veteran butler, relaxed in one of the home’s living rooms.   
Nigel, who was getting on in years, noticed a solitary figure riding on horseback. On closer examination, it was one of the Queen’s guards.  
“Your Highness.” Elizabeth was about to be disrobed when Nigel rushed in. “I regret to say that we are about to have some trouble.”  
“Nigel, what is-----?”  
At that moment, Elizabeth noticed the yeoman warder. He appeared cleaner and statelier than many of the others she’d met.   
“I suppose I will see what this gentleman wants,” Nigel said reluctantly.  
Nigel opened the front door to find the T – 1000 standing there. He flashed a devious grin. His fiery eyes pure evil.   
“Elizabeth Tudor?”  
Elizabeth’s gut instinct told her this ‘guard’ wasn’t here to arrest her.  
“Nigel, get away from the door!”  
The T – 1000’s right hand shaped itself into a sword, which he used to slice open the top half of Nigel’s head. He forced himself inside, slicing apart Harriett and Sarah as they attempted to protect the princess.   
Just like that, the demon’s sword returned to being a hand. Almost paralyzed with fear, Elizabeth ran for her life out the back door of the house. She through the yard until she was in the nearby forest.  
The princess hid herself amongst some of the thick undergrowth that saturated the old forest. She tried to control her breathing. It had been the most terrifying sight she’d ever witnessed. She had no idea her sister was so evil that she’d conjure up the unholy forces of Satan. Footsteps. The terrifying sprite searched for his prey. More footsteps. Only these were behind her. Should she turn around? Acting against her better judgment, Elizabeth did just that. Another soldier, this one adorned in armor and armed with two blunderbusses. A satchel slung across his chest. She was at the point of fainting when the T – 1000 was alerted.   
“Elizabeth, stay down!” the Terminator yelled.   
The T – 800 squared off against the T – 1000. The Terminator got in close and struck his adversary in the chest with two devastating muzzle blasts that sounded like a fire – breathing dragon. The T – 1000 stumbled backward. Elizabeth, in complete shock at the events unfolding around her, crouched down with mouth agape as the two massive holes in the T – 1000’s body began to heal themselves.   
“You won’t be getting off that easily,” the Terminator said.   
He lit the fuse on the satchel, which was packed full of gunpowder, and tossed it directly into the T – 1000.  
“Come with me if you want to live” he turned to Elizabeth, who quickly ran away through the forest with this stranger.   
The T – 1000 exploded into thousands of tiny pieces of liquified metal. Seconds later, the pieces form together again.   
*****  
Elizabeth felt like she was getting her second wind. Whoever this man was, he’d saved her life and was obviously not working for Mary. The two continued running until she was out of breath.   
“Elizabeth, we must keep moving.”  
“Who….what…is that? It has to be a sorcerer or some demon from Hell.”  
The Terminator shook his head.  
“Negative. That is a T – 1000. Composed entirely of liquid metal, or to be more scientific, mimetic poly-alloy. It is able to manipulate many forms and can take on the likeness of humans. Unlike me, the T – 1000 is able to slip through physical openings by oozing its liquid form and reform itself from most physical damage. The T – 1000 is the Second Generation of robotic creations made by Skynet to fight off the Resistance.”  
“What do you mean, unlike you? Are you not human either? If not, you must be an angel from the Lord sent to protect me.”  
“Again, negative. I am a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101. A cybernetic organism consisting of living tissue over a robotic endoskeleton. I’m not as advanced and therefore not as powerful as the T – 1000.”  
Elizabeth was flabbergasted.  
“Sorry, but this is all above my head. The next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re from the future.”  
“The year 2032. The Resistance has just captured Skynet and destroyed the last of the machines. My master, John Connor, was in charge of the Resistance.”  
“Connor? He from Ireland?”  
“No, Your Highness. Los Angeles, California. What today is known as the New World? Five centuries from now it’s a wasteland destroyed by nuclear war. We must keep moving.”  
Elizabeth had difficulty keeping up with the Terminator as he walked briskly through the forest.  
“This T – 1000 or whatever it’s called. Why does it want to kill me?”  
“Because you will become the queen of England in three years' time when your sister Mary dies.”  
“I knew it. It was only a matter of time. She’s involved.”  
“Not directly. A group calling itself the Society of St. Pius sent the T – 1000 back in time to kill you. They are trying to rewrite history. And yes, according to John Connor, the leader of this group does idolize Queen Mary.”  
As the two traveled over a stream, they were confronted by the T – 1000.   
“Elizabeth! Run!”  
Elizabeth ran off just as the T – 1000 swiped at the Terminator with blades. The Terminator retaliated by picking up a log with dozens of sharp branches that he used to knock his enemy off his feet. Next, he drove the sharpened stakes into the machine’s body, pinning it to the ground.  
“Stick around for a while.”  
As the Terminator set off in search of Elizabeth. To his surprise, she had been hiding underneath some bushes.   
“Elizabeth, we need to get as far away as we can. We also need better weapons if we’re going to destroy the T – 1000.   
“You talked about the Resistance,” she said. “We’re also having a war of our own in this country right now. A rebellion against my sister. I will take you to our leader, Thomas Wyatt.”


	9. Chapter 9 Richmond Palace, England AD 1555

Chapter 9  
Richmond Palace, England AD 1555  
Queen Mary was beside herself. Something overwhelmingly evil was taking place in her realm. First, a sinister-looking man whose arms turned into swords kills four yeoman warders. Then, another incident in Herefordshire in which a giant speaking in a thick Austrian accent beats up four of her soldiers before taking their armor, swords, flintlocks, and horse-drawn carriage. Mary found herself at a loss regarding what she should do.  
If it wasn’t for the guidance of Bishop Gardiner, she would truly be lost. But the burning question etched itself into the back of her mind and wouldn’t leave; with so many enemies to wipe out, would she be able to do so in time before she was ousted and possibly assassinated? Her dream of returning England to the true faith was fading with each passing day.   
“Those heretics who conspired against me. Surely, they have at the very least recanted,” Mary said. “That doesn’t mean I will grant them mercy, particularly Thomas Cranmer. He will burn at Smithfield regardless of how much he gets for this life. Bishop? He’s no servant of the Lord. Cranmer is the reason for my parent’s divorce so my father could get with Anne Boleyn.”  
“Your Majesty, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, Agnes Potten as well as Cranmer are currently being interrogated inside the Tower,” Gardiner explained. “While I can’t speak for Cranmer, the others so far have failed to recant the false doctrine they confess to.”  
Another member of her court she placed great trust in was General Thomas Ashburn, a direct ancestor of the American of the same surname who, along with John Connor, would lead the Resistance to victory against Skynet five centuries later.   
Ashburn bowed in front of the Queen.  
“General, I pray you to bring me updates regarding those two men who have been targeting me,” she said. “You know as well as I do that they are connected to my sister. And why has she not been locked in the Tower!” Mary snapped. “I’m this close to signing her death warrant.”  
“Majesty, a contingent of my men traveled to Hatfield House yesterday only to find it empty, save for three slain servants.”  
“What of her friends? Kat Ashley. Robert Dudley? Those Dudley’s are traitorous.”  
“Nowhere to be found, your Majesty.”  
Mary signed wearily.   
“This second man. From the reports I’ve been receiving, he didn’t want to kill those soldiers in the tavern, just merely take their weapons. Is that correct?”  
Ashburn nodded.  
“Yes, Your Majesty. Like that fiend who is responsible for the attack at the Tower of London, this massive man arrived following a blinding flash of lighting. He too was naked. This is according to some witnesses who watched as he walked down their street to the tavern.”  
Mary felt herself being weirded out.   
“General, I want answers. And I don’t care how you go about getting them. You are dismissed.”  
*****  
“I cannot even begin to imagine such a future. One so terrifying. From what you’ve been telling me, it’s almost as though the human race is being wiped out.”  
Since getting out into central England, Elizabeth had been plying her benefactor with numerous questions.   
“But it does seem strange that this Ryan Semple does not know my sister.”  
“He is a fanatic. Dangerous and must be stopped,” the Terminator said. Given the time period he’d been transported back to, he had no other option but to use the horse-drawn carriage to get around. Then again, the T – 1000 wouldn’t be able to move at a much further pace either.   
“With regards to the religion of the English people, I will never persecute Catholics in this country just so long as they give their first allegiances to me.”  
“But you will. You just don’t know it yet. Later in your reign. Pressure from nobles.”  
“Your king or whoever sent you back here must surely be a Protestant.”  
“Elizabeth, as I’ve told you already, this is not about religion. It’s about not altering the timeline of history.”  
The carriage reached an open area of fields and moors where a large encampment was put up. Thousands of men armed with an assortment of pikes, swords, spears, bows, and arrows, crossbows and flintlocks hung about tents.  
“Stop. Do not go any further!” four guards approached the carriage. They quickly backed off when they saw Princess Elizabeth.  
“Your Highness,” one of them said. “My apologies. We never expected to see you here. Who is----”  
“John. You can call him John,” Elizabeth replied. “If I didn’t know better, I would say this is the second rebellion.”  
Just then, Henry Wyatt, a cousin, emerged from a tent.   
“Elizabeth,” he said jovially.   
They embraced.   
“I guess you could say I’m picking up where my brother left off.”  
“I was so disheartened to hear that Thomas was severely tortured before hung, drawn and quartered. His head was placed on London Bridge. Lord Thomas Grey and William Thomas, along with 90 rebels, were also hung or beheaded. What about Peter Carew and Sir James Croft?”  
“Although they still oppose the queen, they want nothing to do with this,” Wyatt replied.  
“We need cannon. As much gunpowder as you can give us,” the Terminator said.   
Wyatt was confused.   
“Elizabeth, what’s going on here? Have you come to join the rebellion?”  
“Not exactly,” she replied. “A group of Catholics from the year 2032 who are sympathetic to Mary has sent a killing machine back through time to kill me. It’s called a T – 1000. They want me dead so that Mary can rule England forever.”  
Wyatt and his lieutenants were even more confused.  
“You mean to tell me some kind of demonic entity was sent from the future?”  
“Sort of. John was also sent, but to protect me. He’s not a human either. A model T – 800.”  
“Is he from Austria or Germany,” Wyatt asked.  
“LA,” Elizabeth replied. “We really don’t have much time. If the T – 1000 is not destroyed, me, you, every Protestant in England will be in grave danger.”  
“Come with me,” Wyatt said as he pointed to a castle ruin that the rebels were using as an armory. “I’ll make sure you’re well – equipped for your mission.”


	10. Chapter 10 Rochester, England, AD 1555

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance, which has emerged victorious after decades of vicious fighting against the machines and terminators of Skynet, faces a new threat: factions of the surviving population have embraced religious extremism, with designs for turning the rebuilding post-apocalyptic society into an authoritarian theocracy. And one secretive organization – the Society of St. Pius – led by a renegade priest named Ryan Semple, is determined to knock John Connor from his place in the leadership hierarchy. But first, this band of fundamentalist catholic zealots desires to rewrite history by sending terminators back through time to eliminate perceived enemies of the Catholic Church, beginning with Princess Elizabeth in 16th Century England. John Connor retaliates by sending the aging terminator who’d saved his life as a boy to Tudor England to protect the future Queen against the T1000 and her sister, the diabolical Mary 1.

Chapter 10  
Rochester, England, AD 1555  
“In hindsight, I think I should have been more persuasive in getting the rebellion to assist us,” Elizabeth said.   
“There would be nothing they could do,” The Terminator stated. “You have another relative in this area, am I right?”  
Elizabeth nodded.  
“Sir Nicholas Roe. He was a member of the Privy Council during my brother’s reign. Before that, he was an officer of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners, a bodyguard created by my father,” she explained. “He began his military career as a pikeman in the Battle of the Spurs. He will help us.”  
Most villagers went about their daily business and took little notice of the huge man driving a horse-drawn carriage through the main street. Rochester. A typical medieval English town.   
“There it is,” Elizabeth said as she pointed to a foundry atop a hill. “It is owned by my cousin. A most perfect place in which to defend against the T – 1000.”  
On the outskirts of Rochester was a sprawling castle. A pair of guards confronted the Terminator.   
“It’s alright,” Elizabeth said. “He’s with me.”  
“My lady, I will inform my master that his cousin is here,” said the eldest of the guards.”  
They were ushered inside. Checkerboard floors. Chandeliers hanging from a ceiling lined with high arches. Heraldic flags lining the walls. Suits of armor and weapons showcased for all to see. Elizabeth had been to this castle many times.   
“Cousin.”   
Nicholas Roe made his entrance wearing a white silk shirt frilled at the neck and wrists. Over this were a doublet and close-fitting striped trousers.  
“Fancy seeing you here. I feared for your safety. That sister of yours would have your head – all of our heads – on the block in no time.”

“Right now, she isn’t our main threat. You’re going to think I’m insane for saying this, but a robot….”  
“A what----”  
“It’s like a human, designed by scientists almost five centuries from now.”  
Roe wondered what was wrong with his cousin.   
“This machine is designed to kill. It’s made of liquid metal, almost like mercury.”  
This interested Roe, whose nobble privilege assured him a spot at Oxford University where he earned a degree in sciences and maths.   
“You mean to tell me a machine from the future was sent here to kill you?”  
The Terminator stepped forward.  
“That is right. We’re running out of time. Nicholas, bring your best men – at – arms and accompany us to the foundry,” the cyborg ordered.   
“I need to learn more about----”  
“Just do it,” the Terminator said impatiently.  
*****  
The T – 1000 had been programmed to have a thorough understanding of the political climate of mid – 16th Century England. Traveling around in the uniform of a yeoman warder would certainly attract some unwanted attention, possibly even Protestant rebels would try to kill him. It wasn’t as though they could win. Still, he wanted to blend in with the local populace until his mission was accomplished. He scanned the faces of peasants at work in a small village. A man of about his height and stature forked hay into the back of a wagon.  
“Give me your clothes now,” he ordered.  
The peasant man looked at him strangely before becoming offensive. He waved his pitchfork threateningly at the T – 1000.   
“What, are you mad?”  
“I’m only going to ask one more time.” The T – 1000 had a cold, distant look in his eyes. He held out his finger, which turned into a long, razor-sharp needle. Overcome by fear and shock, the peasant could do nothing but comply.

*****  
Early spring in England was often characterized by foul, damp weather that got deep inside of your bones. Rain fell in buckets and – judging by the dark clouds gathering overhead, they could be in for a nasty thunder and lightning storm. Elizabeth warmed up inside of a cabin while her cousin and six of his men – Rufus, Jack, Peter, Paul, Nigel, and Rowan assisted the Terminator in setting up cannons around the tower that stood prominently at the top of the hill.   
The Englishmen were astounded as to how their new friend could carry as many as two cannons on his shoulders, balancing them perfectly. The ditches surrounding the fortress that included the foundry were filled with tar. Each soldier carried two flintlocks or blunderbusses as well as crossbows.  
At that exact moment, a dark, solitary figure emerged from the tract of the forest at the bottom of the hill.  
“Who is that?” Rowan asked out loud.   
The figure moved briskly.  
“It’s him. Be ready!” the Terminator said.  
Nigel lit the arrow at the end of Peter’s bow. Peter pulled back the drawstring and fired right into the heart of the T – 1000 before Rowan fired a flaming crossbow bolt into the ditch. They watched in shock as the T – 1000, totally engulfed in flames, emerged from the ditch without hardly a scratch on him.   
The Terminator steadied a cannon on each shoulder.   
“Now!”  
Nicholas and Paul lit the fuses. Two massive explosions erupted as the cannonballs slammed into the chest of the T – 1000, blasting holes that nearly blew one of Skynet’s deadliest creations apart.   
“Get me two more!”  
Roe’s men grabbed two more heavy loaded cannons which the Terminator picked up with ease. He fired them into the recovering T – 1000, blasting the shapeshifting android assassin into hundreds of pieces.  
“How….could….this….be…possible? Roe was beyond flabbergasted. “There was no possible human explanation.   
Just when they thought the T – 1000 had disappeared, it reformed itself. Its blade hands sliced Peter and Rowan in half. The android moved onto the others but was slowed down only briefly by two blunderbuss blasts to the chest. Elizabeth went outside just as the Terminator and the T – 1000 were locked in a ferocious fight to the death. The T – 1000 slammed the Terminator half through a wall before turning his sights on Elizabeth.   
She screamed before running off, the T – 1000 in hot pursuit.  
“Elizabeth!!!”  
Roe and the surviving soldiers ran after the T – 1000. The Terminator struggled to get up. Man, was he ever getting too old for this shit?   
“I must save the princess. I must save the princess….” He kept telling himself.   
*****  
Elizabeth found herself cornered at the edge of a cliff, her assassin twenty feet away. Out of breath and tired, there was no way she could go on. Roe drove a sword through the middle of the machine’s chest. He responded by casually pulling it out and thrusting it through Roe’s heart. Battle-hardened as they were, his men were terrified at the invincible manifestation in front of them.   
“Get out,” the T – 1000 said.   
The men looked at Elizabeth with shame in their eyes as if they felt what they were about to do was the most cowardly act of their lives. They ran off. The T – 1000 focused his attention back on Elizabeth. Seconds later, the Terminator drove a long pipe through his adversary before picking him up and tossing him off the cliff. He outstretched his hand. Elizabeth took it.  
“How could you have survived that?”  
In no time at all, the T – 1000 was back, angrier than ever. He tossed the Terminator against a cluster of boulders. Elizabeth moved back toward the edge of the cliff. Ear-splitting thunder followed by intense lightning filled the pitch-black night sky. She shrieked as a bolt of lightning struck the ground close to her. Down, but far from out, the Terminator got to his feet and tussled again with the T – 1000. The only way he was going to kill the machine was by waiting for the opportune time to fry it with lightning. More bolts struck the ground in the most intense storm to hit the area in decades.   
“How do you kill this thing?” Elizabeth asked as they fought.   
“Either extreme cold. Or extreme heat.”  
The Terminator felt more lightning coming. Mustering all the strength he could, he picked up the T – 1000 and tossed it onto the ground just in time for a massive blast of lightning to incinerate it.   
“You’re terminated, motherfucker!”  
His joints in agony, the Terminator sat down. Elizabeth came to his side, try to soothe him.   
“I must go. My mission is accomplished.”  
“You can’t go. You mean to the future?”  
He shook his head.   
“My time has come. It’s the end of my life.”  
“But surely you don’t mean that. Please, stay here. When I am queen, you will be given anything you want. A high position in my government if you so choose.”  
The Terminator got up. Elizabeth became distraught as her newest and closest friend walked toward the foundry to expire.  
“As your future queen, I order you not to go!”  
“Elizabeth, I have no other choice. Just as it is your destiny to become Queen of England, it is also my destiny to listen to the wishes of my master and die.”  
THE END


End file.
